Licence to own potentially dangerous dogs

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What do you need to know?

To own or walk a potentially dangerous dog, you must have an administrative license, issued by the city council of the municipality where the dog usually resides and where it must be registered.

The license is the permit granted by the Barcelona City Council and giving an individual the right to own a potentially dangerous dog and walk it in public spaces.

It is a mandatory procedure for all those people who have a potentially dangerous dog, created with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of the city.

The licence is personal and non-transferable. Owners of dogs so described must have a licence, as must the individuals tasked with walking them. In other words, if there is more than one individual who usually takes the dog outside to the street, they are all required to obtain the corresponding permit.

If you do not have the relevant licence, you may be fined. The fine may be minor, serious or very serious and sums ranging from €60 up to €30,000 may be payable.

VERY IMPORTANT:

A potentially dangerous dog is one which, because of its breed, its aggressive nature, and the size or strength of its jaw, is capable of injuring or killing people or other animals and causing damage to public or private property.

What dogs are considered potentially dangerous?

  • Those belonging to one of the following breeds or their crossbreeds: Akita Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier Bully, Bullmastiff, Doberman, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Brazilian Fila, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Tosa Inu or Japanese Tosa.
  • Those that have been aggressive towards people or other dogs.
  • Those that have been trained to attack and defend.
  • Those with the following features: strong jaws, powerful appearance, robustness, agility, vigour, resistance, marked character and bravery, thick, muscular and short neck, etc., and other features mentioned in Annex II to Royal Decree 287/2002, of 22 March.

The Barcelona City Council may amend and/or extend the above list in specific cases or situations and where the circumstances so warrant. For other municipalities, check the corresponding local regulations.

The licence to have potentially dangerous dogs is valid throughout Spain.

If you already applied for a licence for your potentially dangerous dog in another municipality outside of Barcelona, you don’t need to apply for the licence in the city, but you must deregister your dog from the municipality it lived in and register it in the Barcelona's Pet register.

If you applied for the licence for your potentially dangerous dog outside of Spain, you must first register your dog in the Pet Census and then apply for the licence.

Who does it apply to?

  • The owner of the animal, where that person is of legal age.
  • Any person who has to walk a dog considered to be potentially dangerous in public spaces and who is capable of giving the necessary care to the dog. This includes all members of a family unit who take the dog for a walk and also to dog walkers.

What requirements must be met?

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OWNER

  • You must be of legal age.
  • You must not be incapable of giving the necessary care to the dog.
  • You must not have been convicted of the crimes of murder, injury or torture, or crimes against freedom or moral integrity, sexual freedom and public health.
  • You must not have been convicted of association with any armed gang or drug-trafficking ring.
  • You must not have been fined for offences in relation to owning potentially dangerous animals.
  • You need to provide a certificate of physical and psychological fitness.
  • You must have third party civil liability insurance with a minimum cover of €150,253.

OBLIGATIONS FOR THE PERSON WHO OWNS OR WALKS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG

  • The dogs must be walked on a lead, with a non-extendible lead no more than two metres long, and with a muzzle.
  • The facilities where the dogs are housed must be such as to prevent the animals from getting out and injuring third parties:
    • The walls and fencing must be high and strong enough and must be well fixed to support the animal's weight and pressure.
    • The doors to the facilities must be robust and designed to prevent the animals unhinging or opening the security mechanisms themselves.
    • The enclosure must be well signed with the warning that there is a dog of this kind inside.
  • Dogs, in private places and spaces, properties, land, terrace roofs, courtyards or any other bounded place, must be kept on a leash, unless the place they are in is an area surrounded by an appropriately high and closed fence, to protect people or animals accessing or approaching these places.
  • Only one potentially dangerous dog may be walked per person.
  • Breeding potentially dangerous dogs is forbidden, except at facilities registered on the Zoological centres register as a breeding centre.
  • In the event that a person applies for a licence to walk potentially dangerous dogs which are not owned by them (dog walkers, animal rescue volunteers and kennels staff, etc.), a licence to walk potentially dangerous dogs must be applied for from the city council. Unlike the licences for individuals, no dog's name or chip appears, given that the dogs will change from time to time.

How long is it valid for?

The licence is valid for five years and throughout Spain.

Every year, coinciding with the renewal of your insurance, you must present a copy of the receipt of the same so that City Council can check its validity. You can send the copy of the receipt by email to the Barcelona Animal Protection Office or make an appointment at any Citizen Help and Information Office to present the copy of the receipt.

What do you need to do?

It can be done remotely (online and without a digital certificate), or you can initiate the procedure over the telephone or in person with an appointment at a Citizen Help and Information Office (OAC).

What steps must you follow?

ONLINE PROCESSING

  • Gather the required documents
  • Access the application form (available in Catalan and Spanish).
  • You must fill in, confirm and print the documents that are generated automatically.
  • You can pay the fee online at any of the partner banks that appear on the payment form.
  • Once the fee is paid, you can complete the procedure online (with the internet reference number of the procedure initiated) by attaching documents. You must provide proof of payment of the fee and the rest of the required documents.
  • Afterwards, once all the application data have been checked, within approximately three months City Council will send the licence card, if granted, to your address, or otherwise notify you of the decision not to grant it.
  • Before sending you the licence, if the documents are in order, City Council will send you a provisional licence, which will be valid for six months.

IN PERSON PROCESSING

TELEPHONE PROCESSING

  • Gather the required documents
  • If you call from the city of Barcelona, you must call 010. The telephone service is available in English, French, Catalan and Spanish
  • In the call, you must provide the details of the holder and the animal so that you can be sent the application form and payment form, already filled in, by post.
  • When it arrives, sign the form.
  • Pay the fee at a partner bank.
  • Once you have paid the fee, you must make an appointment at any OAC to present all the documents required in the application for the granting of a licence. 
  • Afterwards, once all the application data have been checked, within approximately three months City Council will send the licence card, if granted, to your address, or otherwise notify you of the decision not to grant it.
  • Before sending you the licence, if the documents are in order, City Council will send you a provisional licence, which will be valid for six months.

What documentation is required?

To get a licence for the first time

  • Original and photocopy of the application form for the licence, duly filled in.
  • Receipt of payment of the relevant fee.
  • Original and photocopy of the DNI, passport or driving licence.
  • Sworn declaration stating that you have not been sanctioned for serious offences or very serious offences.
  • Certificate of physical capacity and psychological fitness (original) for ownership of this type of animal, issued by a specialist medical centre.
  • Photocopy of the liability insurance policy which includes the animal’s identification details (name, breed, microchip code); insurance must cover third party damage for not less than €150,253.
  • Photocopy of the receipt proving payment for the civil liability insurance, which must be in force.
  • Copy of the payment form for registration in the pets register.
  • Proof of the animal’s identification by microchip.
  • A criminal record certificate.

Renewing the licence

It requires the above documentation, except for the copy of the payment form for registration in the pets register and proof of the animal’s identification by microchip.

To acquire a new potentially dangerous dog

As you already have a valid licence, you can submit the documentation for the new dog by post to the Barcelona Animal Protection Office.

What is the cost?

The licence costs €53 and the renewal fee is the same amount.

Want to know more?

Body is responsible for the formality

Barcelona City Council.

Futher information

At the the Virtual Office of procedure, animal welfare section (in Catalan and Spanish only).

Important linked procedures

If you have an animal which is considered to be potentially dangerous, prior to obtaining the licence to own potentially dangerous dogs, you must :

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The procedures tend to change frequently. Therefore, only what is provided by the regulations in force at the time of carrying out the procedure in question is applicable.